The Mercury Music Prize has often been a hindrance to its recipients, but perhaps not for Klaxons whose debut Myths of the Near Future beat Amy Winehouse to the award three months ago.

At the first of two sell-out Brixton shows, Klaxons still marched to their own otherworldly beat. But now they can play like a real band - they admit to mastering their songs just a few months ago - in contrast to the artrock dilettantes I first saw last year.

Maybe it was the homecoming effect, but their brief, explosive set got the whole room dancing wildly to witty, propulsive tunes such as Atlantis to Interzone and Totem on the Timeline.

Don't call it nu-rave, though: Klaxons have largely shaken off that unfortunate label and they even banned glow sticks at the venue. They still wore their futuristic garb, though, and one rogue glow stick bounced off singer and bassist Jamie Reynolds's shoulder pad, part of an odd sci-fi ensemble last seen in Blake's 7.

Although now more skillful as musicians, Klaxons still made an almighty racket. Yet the insistent melody from As Above, So Below showed a lightness of touch and their pregnant pause during Magick, with the band members' faces sinisterly bathed in light, was worthy of any arena show.

Their cover of Nineties dance tune It's Not Over Yet was sleek, but should probably be pruned from the set once they've got some new songs, if they really want to leave nu-rave behind.

Golden Skans and its wayward whoo-hoo vocals still sounded like one of the singles of 2007 and Reynolds dedicated it to the fans for "making our dreams come true". But this performance suggested they haven't peaked yet and, with a new album promised next year, Klaxons could even deliver a follow-up that trumps their award-winning debut.

• Tonight, returns only (0207 771 3000).